Imminent Arrival
by lil'nomdeplume
Summary: Pepper is very pregnant- just weeks away from her due date. She is showing signs of reaching the end, but needs to quickly pop over to NYC for a meeting. However, Tony distrusts the projected timing of the arrival of their first child, and sends Happy to accompany her, just in case. Can Happy get Mrs. Stark there and back without incident? Only one way to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**I've always loved Happy Hogan. He's a very endearing character whose loyalty knows no bounds. And my love for him has only grown MORE since seeing Spidey. (How could it NOT, right?)** **So I'll be writing more for him in the immediate future (working out another little Happy-based ditty as we speak, in fact!)**

 **And I know. I've always been one to strongly advocate the need for an Iron Baby to join our little fandom, evident throughout a great many of my fics. But especially NOW that we know our lovebirds are back together, I just can't help myself. It's safe to say I am in full-on Iron Baby mode! Because, as the saying goes, FIRST comes love, THEN comes marriage, THEN comes...well, you know the rest! ;)**

 **I'm hoping to get this one done by the end of the week, but here are the first few chapters. And it'll only be a few chapters long in total.** **Review if you like! Happy Reading and LONG LIVE PEPPERONY! :D**

Pepper walked through the lab doors at the Avengers compound in upstate New York on a sunny Monday morning to kiss her husband goodbye, as she was soon going to be headed to the city for a quick meeting, and would be back later that evening.

However, _walk_ was the operative word, as it was more like a _waddle_ than anything. A _very pregnant_ waddle.

Looking up from what he was working on, he noticed her enter, and instantly beamed. " _There's_ my beautiful bride!" he hooted. "And good _morning."_

Pepper grinned back, and laid a loving kiss on his lips when she reached him. "Good _morning,_ " she cooed.

Tony ran an affectionate hand over her very swollen belly, and bent to give it a kiss. "And _Mini-Stark?_ How is _she_ this fine Monday?" he asked, raising back up to look into his wife's eyes.

Pepper patted her stomach, and exhaled sharply. " _Active,_ " she replied. "Like a little jumping bean in there. They say babies are supposed to settle down the closer you get to your due date. But apparently not _this_ one! Who could've guessed a Stark baby would be so restless?" she joked, with a knowing smirk.

Tony chuckled at her. He glanced down at Pepper's middle, and then quirked up an eyebrow at his wife. "Any more contractions?" he asked. She had had a series of random, sharp pains over the last few days that had felt different to her than the Braxton-Hicks contractions she'd had since month five. There really had been no rhyme or reason to them, as they would come and go, off and on. But, as a precaution, Tony had insisted she get examined by their Obstetrician, concerned neither of them had realized she was in early labor. And while Pepper _was_ reaching the end of her pregnancy, she hadn't yet started to dilate. So the doctor made the decision that, _indeed_ her body was getting ready to give birth, but that she hadn't yet reached a point of urgent concern. The baby also hadn't yet turned, but some of her movements were causing nerves and muscles to react, creating the sharp pains. It wasn't _fun,_ but she also wasn't in any state of emergency.

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Would you stop? They're not _contractions._ And _no._ I'm _fine._ It's like the doctor said- this is _totally_ normal. I could have these for _days. Weeks_ even, before she decides to make her appearance. But as long as they stay random, we've got nothing to worry about. They're just getting a little uncomfortable, that's all," she reminded him.

"All the _same,_ Pep, you _know_ I don't like the idea of you travelling _any_ distance alone right now. Even if it _is_ only a couple of hours away," he reminded her. "It's like you're suddenly a ticking time bomb." He huffed in frustration, and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Are you _sure_ you don't want me to come with?" he asked.

She cocked her head, and gave Tony a look down her nose. " _Yes,_ I'm _sure._ What I _want_ is for you to do us _all_ a favor, and busy yourself with..." she began, pausing to gesture toward the miscellaneous bits of metal Tony had strewn across a workbench. "Whatever _this_ is, so you can stop being paranoid," she told him. "It's only going to be a few hours! I'll be back before you even know it."

Tony frowned and kissed her lips again, this time deepening it, and cupping her face in his hands. When it broke, he opened his eyes, but kept frowning. "Okay, fine. But just _promise_ there won't be any pre-mature hatching?" he joked, though his eyes held a look of genuine worry.

"If it makes you feel better, then I _promise,"_ Pepper assured, giving her worried husband a sympathetic smile. She laid her hands over his, and patted one tenderly. "I'll return to you as _rotund_ as I am standing in front of you right now. I'm _sure_ of it."

Tony smiled, and nodded, uncupping her cheeks and taking a step back. "Fair enough. Fly _safe,_ baby," he said. Then he bent down so he was eye level with her stomach, and pointed a finger at it. "And _you._ No monkey business. Mama's got some stuff she has to handle today, so just chill out in there, alright?" he instructed his unborn daughter, sealing it with a loving kiss to Pepper's belly. The baby gave her father a defiant kick in response, right where his lips were, which made him flinch. He looked up at Pepper in surprise, and they both chuckled.

Tony looked back down at his wife's stomach, and gently smoothed his hand over it. "Remember, Daddy loves you. Even if you _are_ a rebellious little _squirt,_ " he murmured softly back to his daughter, not noticing the admiring smile he was getting from his wife. "And I love _you_ , Mrs. Stark," he told her, raising back up to look her in the eye, again. "Be _careful,_ huh? You start feeling _anything_ that's not right, you _call_ me. And _then_ you get to the nearest hospital, understood? I'll be there in a _flash."_

Pepper smiled, and then playfully saluted him. "Yes, _sir,_ " she quipped, with a smirk, before giving his lips one last, farewell peck.

XxXxXxXxXx

Pepper had just boarded the Stark helicopter waiting for her on the launch pad when she heard someone calling out loudly from the ground. She turned to peer out her window, finding Happy waving his arms wildly and yelling, "Wait! Tell him to hold up!" as the husky man ran as quickly as he could in the direction of the chopper.

"Winston, wait for Mr. Hogan to board," Pepper requested of the AI pilot. He complied, and remained grounded for the moment as the Head of Security, dressed in his customary black suit and tie, ducked to avoid the rotors and clamored up into the cockpit, out of breath. "Boss...says...I'm coming... _with_ you," he explained, huffing and panting. Pepper frowned, but caught sight of Tony standing at the edge of the clearing where the helipad was located, near the entrance into the compound, hands in his pants pockets, and wearing a smug grin.

She motioned to him through the window with shrug and a look of confusion. He just shrugged back, still smirking.

Pepper shook her head in disbelief, and glanced back to Happy, who was sitting in the seat across from her, still struggling to catch his breath. "Honestly? I'm landing _on top_ of the building in which I'm attending the meeting. And when it's _over,_ I'm going right back up to the roof to fly back _here_! Why on _Earth_ do I need _you_ to..."

Just then, Pepper's phone rang. She hastily yanked it out of a side pocket of her purse, and saw it was Tony. She huffed in exasperation, and swiped her thumb to answer the call.

"I know you're probably grilling Happy right now, but don't be too hard on him. He's under direct orders from me to follow you around. In _fact,_ I told him this was called ' _operation: lost puppy'._ Because he likes it when I name the things I give him to do something official-sounding? So it would be _good_ if you could just pretend to..." Tony immediately began.

"I made you stay back, so you send reinforcements?" Pepper cried. She glanced at Happy, who was looking at her with eyes wide and innocent. _Lost puppy indeed,_ Pepper thought, rolling her own eyes. Just then, she felt the helicopter lift off. The baby did too, as she squirmed a little when the initial thrust jerked her mother's stomach. Pepper ran a comforting hand across her belly, and the little girl quickly quieted down.

"Shoulda' let me tag along, Potts," Tony quipped back. "I woulda' made a _much_ better traveling companion."

"I _should_ have you _committed,"_ she fired back, though unable to contain an amused smile.

"Yeah, maybe. But for now, just come back to me as soon as you can. And take good care of that cargo you're carrying, huh?" her husband lovingly replied.

"Who? _Happy?"_ Pepper quipped, tongue firmly planted in her cheek.

" _You_ know what I mean, smart ass," he replied. "I love you. See you tonight."

Pepper heard him disconnect. By that time, they were well off the ground and flying south. She replaced her phone in her purse's side pocket and eyed Happy suspiciously.

"Operation: Lost _Puppy,_ hmmm?" she asked skeptically.

Happy just shrugged. "Like _he_ said. I'm just following orders," he replied.


	2. Chapter 2

Pepper hadn't intended to be very talkative on the flight to NYC. She'd told Happy she wanted to take the time to get some rest before they arrived, and he graciously obliged, citing that he remembered how tired his sister complained of being when she had been pregnant with his nephews and nieces.

Pepper nodded in understanding. "Though _'tired'_ doesn't _begin_ to describe it. I'm exhausted _all_ the time now. It's like how I felt when I first got pregnant. Even after a good night's sleep, I was still dragging through the day. Then, I was okay during the second trimester. But _now,_ I'm back to being dead on my feet. A walking _zombie_ most days," she told him. She'd shifted in her seat, with a wince, trying to find a more comfortable position. "A zombie with a watermelon inside of her, squishing everything, that _is._ It doesn't help that it's getting _really_ hard to get comfortable enough to even _be able_ to sleep, now."

Happy chuckled at her analogy. "Won't be long, though," he said. "That's gotta be a relief, huh? Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?" he asked.

Pepper shrugged. "It _is,_ and it _isn't,"_ she replied. "I've really _loved_ being pregnant, if I'm being honest. In some ways, I know I'll miss it. But in others, like getting to meet our daughter, and having this brand new little _life_ to take care of and watch grow up- _that's_ what I'm looking forward to."

Happy smiled and nodded. "You guys are gonna make _great_ parents," he mused.

Pepper quirked an eyebrow at him, with a coy smirk. "You think so?" she asked.

He nodded. "You _bet._ Provided she's more like _you,_ and less like _Tony. Otherwise,_ you'll have your hands full," he joked. They laughed, and Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Well, so much for _that._ I think she's _already_ just like her father," she replied. "But that means they'll get along famously, I suppose."

"Yeah. Until she turns 13," Happy joked.

Pepper winced, and chuckled. " _Yikes._ You're probably right. I remember when _I_ was 13. I gave my mother a run for her- _Oooh!"_ she cried, suddenly sitting up, and bringing her hand to her lower left abdomen. "Yeeeeoww, that hurts. _Wow._ "

Happily jerked upright in his seat with alarm, wide eyed. "Boss?!" he said. "Is this _it?_ Are you...?"

She shook her head, and waved a hand at him in dismissal, though her face was tightly scrunched up in discomfort, and her eyes were squeezed closed. She was vigorously rubbing the spot on her stomach the pain had shot from now.

Happy swiftly turned around in his seat to face where, in any _other_ helicopter, there would have been a human pilot sitting, and began speaking. (An unnecessary move, as Winston could be called upon from anywhere in the cockpit.) "Code _red,_ Pal. Land this bird immediately, or turn it around. We've got a situation happening here," he rattled off, trying to sound official amidst his panic, though forgetting that the _only_ way Winston would acknowledge a request is if you first called him by _name_.

Happy then swiveled back around to face Pepper. "I'm calling Tony," he informed her, jerking his phone out of his pocket.

" _No!_ It's not _that,"_ Pepper explained, her voice still strained. She slowed the rubbing of the spot on her belly, and took some deep breaths.

Happy froze, heeding her words, but watching her closely, his hand poised above his phone, ready to dial Tony's number in a split second.

The pain eventually subsided, and she slowly sat back in her seat, letting out a relieved sigh, laying a hand over the top of her stomach. " _Phew,"_ she said. She gave her very anxious traveling companion a reassuring smile. "It's just some third trimester pains, I assure you. Nothing to worry about. I'm not in labor," she told him.

"You're _not,_ " Happy parroted.

Pepper shook her head. " _No._ We've seen the doctor, and he's assured us this isn't _that._ Just the unfortunate side-effects of being this _big,_ and weeks away from our due date, but it being still too early to deliver," she said, gesturing to her rounded middle.

Happy frowned, but relented and put his phone back in his pocket. "Alright. If you say so. But I think I'm beginning to see _why_ Tony wanted me to come with you so badly," he said. "And just so you _know?_ I'm sticking to _you_ like _glue_ on this trip."

Pepper chuckled."Yes, I gathered," she replied, with a knowing smirk.

Happy gave her a nod in the affirmative. "I don't trust these doctors, anyway. What do they know? The kid's gonna come when she's gonna come. End of _story,"_ he said, as he sat back against his seat, and crossed his arms with a defiant huff.

Pepper smiled. "I can't say I don't _agree_ with you," she replied.

"Yeah, well. I'm renaming this mission. It's going from Operation: Lost _Puppy_ to _Operation: Almost Baked Bun,"_ he stated. Then he frowned. "Once I...get approval from the _boss,_ that is," he added sheepishly.

Pepper giggled at how serious he was taking the task he'd been given. "You know, I don't think he'll mind the change?" she joked, trying to sound matter-of-fact. "Now if _you_ don't mind, I'm going to at least _attempt_ to get a quick cat nap in before we land."

Happy smiled, and nodded in approval. "No problem," he said. "Enjoy."

Pepper smiled back, and then settled in against the back of her seat, closing her eyes and folding her hands across her belly.

After a few minutes, Happy saw that she'd dozed off, and he smiled, glad that she was getting some much deserved rest.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly took it out to see what the reason was. It was a text from Tony.

 _"How goes it? How're my girls?"_ he'd asked.

Happy hesitated, trying to decide if he should tell him what had transpired or let it go, seeing as how Pepper said this wasn't the first time it had happened, and there was no lasting effect from it.

"Honesty's the best policy," he muttered to himself finally, and set to typing his response.

" _Had an anxious moment just now. Everything is fine, but Pepper had one of those pains she says you know she's been having. Thought for a second I'd be delivering a baby! Made my heart drop into my shoes,"_ he wrote.

A lengthy pause fell between messages. Then, a new text appeared from Tony.

 _"Welcome to MY world, Pal! Don't tell Pepper, but those freak me out every time they happen! She swears it's nothing. Doc says it's nothing. But one of these days, right? Just keep me posted, huh, Lost Puppy?"_

Happy typed his response.

" _Will do, Boss. And about that...can we change the name to Operation: Almost Baked Bun? That's actually more accurate, if you ask me,"_ he wrote. Then he hit send.

He waited for several seconds, but there was no reply.

" _Seriously._ _I just think it sounds better,"_ he typed, hitting send again.

Still no reply. He huffed in defeat, and had all but concluded Tony had ignored his request. Then his phone buzzed with the next text notification.

" _Yeah, whatever,"_ it read. " _But you're STILL to be like a lost puppy behind her today, got it? I don't want you more than two steps behind. At ALL times."_

"Of course," Happy muttered, typing the same thing and adding " _You got it"_ before hitting send.

" _What's she up to, right now?"_ Tony asked.

" _Sleeping,"_ Happy replied.

Tony sent a thumbs up emoji, followed by _"Good. Glad to hear it. She's got almost NO sleep in the last few days."_

" _She said as much,"_ Happy replied.

" _Let me know how the rest of the flight went when you land. And thanks, Man. I owe you one,"_ Tony responded.

 _"No, you don't,"_ Happy responded. " _But I'll think of something."_

Tony sent a laughing smiley face emoji and another thumbs up. Happy smiled at the reply, and shut off his phone's screen before slipping it back into his pocket. He settled back in against his seat and watch Pepper with a leery eye for a moment before his eyelids became too heavy to lift, and he dozed off as well.

XxXxXxXxXx

They'd landed a short time later in New York, and Happy dutifully texted Tony as promised that the rest of flight had gone smoothly. Pepper made it to her meeting right on time, seemingly refreshed and without any lasting concerns- which made Happy feel very relieved for the moment. He still felt a little uneasy about her having this issue, however, as he agreed with Tony that, soon enough, _one_ of these episodes wasn't going to be _just another pain_. And, vigilant as always, he kept an eagle eye on her from the back of the room as she sat at the conference room table with her colleagues in discussion, while he was simultaneously looking up the nearest hospital, the area traffic reports, and even the _weather_ on his phone, leaving all tabs open and at the ready in a moment's notice.

 _If Baby Stark decides today's the day, I'm coming prepared,_ he thought to himself.

The meeting broke for a quick recess after the first hour, and Pepper excused herself from the table, walking directly to where Happy was seated. He quickly stowed his phone in his jacket pocket, and stood up to greet her. "Come on, _Lost Puppy._ I'm headed to the bathroom. And on the _double_ _,"_ she said, with a smile, trying to look inconspicuous. Then she leaned in. "This kid's been jumping up and down on my bladder this whole time like it's a freaking _bouncy-house,"_ she explained in a hushed voice.

Happy chuckled, and stepped to the side. "Lead the way, Madam. I go where _you_ go," he said, gesturing for her to take the lead.

Pepper proceeded to walk to the exit quickly, but with a stilted gate. Happy could tell she was pretty uncomfortable, and in need of some immediate relief.

Once they made it out to the hallway, however, Pepper suddenly yelped, and turned her stilted gate into a brisk jog. Happy quickly went after her, stopping abruptly when he saw her yank open the door to the women's restroom, and disappear inside. He hesitated for a moment, second-guessing his next move, but decided it was for the greater good, and whipped the door open (immediately grateful he wasn't opening the door on a private room, but a full-sized restroom with multiple stalls.)

"Pepper?! You okay?" he called out.

"Fine!" he heard her answer from inside, and he quickly breathed a sigh of relief, closing the door again to allow her her privacy. But then he spun around, suddenly noticing the curious looks he was getting from the other people who had watched this happen, and realized that it must've looked strange to see a man chasing a pregnant woman down the hall, and practically _into_ the bathroom.

He jutted a thumb in the direction of the ladies room. "I'm her security," he awkwardly tried to explain, in his defense. "She's... _pregnant,_ so..."

The people watching him quickly lost interest when they realized there was no cause for alarm, and turned back around to the conversations they were having before Pepper had made a break for the bathroom. Happy took another deep breath in relief, and leaned back against a nearby wall to wait for her to return.

Moments later, Pepper emerged with a very relieved look on her face.

"Better?" he asked, trying not to look amused.

She smiled sheepishly. " _Yes. Much._ Though, for a second there, I wasn't sure I'd make it!" she told him.

Happy chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed," he said.

The two turned to make their way back toward the conference room, when after only a few steps, Pepper suddenly halted in her tracks, and gasped. She brought a hand to her stomach and hunched over, mashing her other hand against the nearby wall for some support, and scrunching her face up in pain again. " _Huh!_ Oh, _wow!_ " she squeaked, her voice choked off from strain, and Happy immediately doubled over as well, putting an arm across her back, and the other hand on her upper arm to lend support.

"What?! Is this for real, this time? What's going on!" he begged, his eyes wild as he searched her face.

She didn't readily answer, but began to take deep breaths, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"Is she going into labor? Should someone call an ambulance?" a woman from across the corridor called to them.

Happy raised up to look at her, and shook his head, waving at her in dismissal. "No! Thank you! It's just...Don't worry! We've got this!" he stammered. He then bent back over to speak to Pepper again, who was now panting, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"That's it. That's it. _Breathe,"_ he instructed, keeping one hand on her back while simultaneously pulling his phone out to dial Tony.

But just as he'd brought up the number on his screen, Pepper slowly raised back up, her face flushed and her breathing still ragged, but much more at ease now. She eyed his phone. "No. There's no need. I'm _fine,"_ she said to him breathlessly.

"But..." Happy began.

"I _promise._ This wasn't a contraction. Just a swift kick in the _wrong_ spot," she explained. She patted Happy's shoulder. "It was a _bad_ one, but it's over. We're _good."_

Happy just stared at her, his eyes filled with apprehension. "Are you _sure?"_ he asked. "There's a hospital 4.3 miles from here. We could go get you checked out," he offered.

Pepper smiled at his obvious concern. "Yes, I'm _sure._ Though your vigilance never ceases to impress me, Happy," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. "4.3 miles, huh?"

Happy gave her a bashful grin. "Yeah, well, you _know._ I've also taken the liberty of monitoring the traffic, _and_ the weather," he explained. "We can't be too careful."

Pepper chuckled. "No, of _course,_ not," she agreed, with a wry smirk. "And I'll be sure to let Tony know you're taking very good care of me," she said. "Though somehow I'd bet he already knows you _are._ He wouldn't have given you the _Lost Puppy_ position if he didn't have faith in your abilities," she teased.

"I appreciate that," Happy said, smiling proudly. They began walking again. "But I should mention he approved the name change. Just so you're _aware,"_ he informed her.

Pepper quirked up a corner of her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. " _Did_ he now? Operation: _Bun in the Oven,_ is it?" she quipped.

"Uh, ' _Almost Baked Bun'._ And yes, ma'am," he corrected, oblivious to her amusement as they walked back into the conference room together. "Seriously, it sounds better, doesn't it?" he asked, as the doors closed behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

Another hour later, the meeting was adjourned. Pepper and Happy both left the conference room in great relief that she hadn't experienced another episode of shooting pain during that time. Now, all that was left was to head back upstate, hopefully without incident. The two, anxious with anticipation to get back, made their way to the roof, where the Stark chopper was waiting.

They both climbed aboard and took their seats, Pepper promptly buckling her seat belt, and adjusting it to rest just under her rounded tummy against her hip bones. She then smoothed a loving hand over her stomach and smiled to herself, glad to be on her way back to her husband, as Winston gently lifted off from the roof top and turned to head north.

"All the excitement quiet down?" Happy asked, nodding toward Pepper's belly, after he, _too,_ had settled in and secured his safety belt.

" _Yes. Finally,"_ she answered emphatically. "I think she's _sleeping,_ actually."

Happy smiled. " _Good,_ " he replied. "Maybe for the duration, huh?"

"Let's _hope._ I'm not sure I can take much more of the Can-Can she seemed keen on doing earlier," Pepper joked. "She's had a _very_ busy day."

"Speaking of busy _,_ I haven't talked to Tony in a while. Maybe we should check-in?" he asked, moving to grab his phone.

"Here. Let _me,"_ Pepper offered, pulling her phone from her purse. "I'm sure if he hears from me directly, he'll feel better, poor thing. He was pretty nervous this morning."

"And with good reason _,"_ Happy replied. "I would be, _too,_ if I were even more than _two feet_ away from my very pregnant, ready-to-pop-at-any-second, wife. Let _alone,_ a couple hundred miles. Can't say I blame the guy."

Pepper chuckled at his description, and dialed her husband's number.

XxXxXxXxXx

Tony was just finishing some soldering when his phone began to violently vibrate, nearly rattling itself off the workbench he was standing in front of. He quickly dabbed the tip of the soldering iron on a wet sponge, and then replaced it in it's holder as he barely caught his phone just before it fell off the edge, nearly crashing to the floor. Flipping it around in his hand, he saw it was Pepper, and eagerly swiped his thumb across the screen to take the call.

"A _hoy-hoy,_ " he purred, smiling when he heard Pepper giggle at his salutation. "Am I meant to take this as a sign you're on your way back with Mini-Me still safely stowed?" he joked.

Pepper giggled again. "Me, your _mini,_ _and_ your lost puppy are on our way back, yes," she teased. "And for your information, your daughter spent the whole time I was there squirming and wriggling to her little heart's _content._ Being _very_ disruptive, I might add. I think she might hate meetings as much as _you_ do."

It was Tony's turn to chuckle. "That's my _girl!"_ he purred. "And it's no wonder. It's right up there with...I dunno, watching paint dry? Wait. I take that back. _That_ can actually be kind of _fun._ Depending on _why_ you're watching the paint dry," he babbled.

He heard Pepper laugh out loud. "You're so _weird,_ sometimes, Stark," she teased.

"Meh. My _weirdness_ is why you love me. Among _other_ things," he quipped with a deviant smirk, his voice thick with innuendo. He heard Pepper chuckle at his joke, and he grinned, relieved she was finally on her way back to him. He picked up a nearby socket wrench and examined it before balancing his phone between his ear and his shoulder while taking the wrench apart and putting away the respective pieces. "So, uh..." he began, picking the phone back up off his shoulder once he'd closed the drawers in his tool chest, and un-cocking his head. "You still feeling okay? Happy told me you had a bit of an episode earlier."

"Which one? The one on the way _down_ here? Or the one outside the _bathroom?"_ Pepper innocently asked, not noticing until she'd stopped speaking that Happy was frantically waving his hands in a ceasing motion, trying to signal to her not to tell Tony about the second incident.

"I _haven't..._ I didn't want to...I was _worried_ he'd..." he stammered, in a loud whisper.

"What?! There were _two?!"_ Tony exclaimed loudly, causing Pepper to wince, and jerk the phone away from her ear. "That's it! Put me on speaker! I need to talk to my so-called _lost puppy!"_ they both heard him angrily bark.

XxXxXxXx

Pepper grimaced apologetically at her travelling companion, and gingerly pressed the speaker button before handing him the phone, while mouthing the words, "I'm _sorry!_ I didn't _know!_ "

Happy just threw up his hands, and rolled his eyes in defeat before taking the phone from her. "Yeah, boss, I'm..."

"Happy, what the _hell?!"_ Tony spat out. "She had another one of those pains, and you didn't..."

"I was _trying_ not to worry you, okay?! She assured me she was fine. And _I_ thought it would only freak you out if..." Happy tried to explain, but was coarsely interrupted.

"Yeah?! What? If my _wife_ suddenly went into labor almost two hundred miles away?! We _talked_ about this, Hap! You even _agreed!_ Any _one_ of these times, it could lead to..."

"Well, of _course_ I would tell you if _that_ happened. But it _didn't,_ Boss! So..." Happy countered.

Suddenly, Pepper's attention was quickly drawn from Tony chewing Happy out to another sharp pain that came on without warning. Only _this_ time, it was a searing stab in her back. She yelped, her hand flying behind her to the affected area. She vigorously began to massage it, but that only seemed to make it worse, as the gripping muscle spasm radiated around to the front of her body. But that wasn't the last of it. Her uterus contracted hard, instantly knocking the air out of her lungs. Pepper let out a strained squeak as her hands flew to her abdomen, and she hunched over. Then, all at once, she noticed the sensation of her feet suddenly becoming wet and the subsequent puddle that had simultaneously amassed on the floor in front of her. She frowned, and then her eyes went wide, realizing what had just happened. "Oh _God!"_ she gasped.

She raised her eyes frantically to look at Happy, but he was oblivious to her, and still arguing with Tony.

"Boys?" she said, her voice hoarse with panic.

They didn't hear her. They just continued to prattle back and forth between each other, Happy apologizing profusely and Tony threatening the possibility of striping his title as Head of Security.

"Boys?!" Pepper tried again, but still to no avail. Neither man had noticed her even _still_.

This made her temper flare. She set her jaw, and narrowed her eyes, mustering the breath to get their attention.

"Anthony Edward Stark and Harold Hogan! I am _speaking_ to you!" she finally spat out angrily, and Happy and Tony instantly silenced themselves. Happy looked at her, completely speechless and shell-shocked.

"Pep?" she heard Tony say. "What's wrong? You okay?"

She huffed. " _No,_ I am certainly _not_ okay! While you two were blathering on about responsibility and communication, my _water_ _broke!"_

 _"What?!_ _"_ she heard her husband exclaim.

Happy scrambled to unbuckle his seat belt while assessing what happened. "What?! How come you didn't...are you serious?! _Now?!"_ he stammered. His eyes danced wildly as he took in the after math on the floor. "Holy _Hell,_ Boss! She's not _kidding!_ It like a bucket got dumped in here, or something!" he reported.

"Ho- _ly_ _shit!"_ Tony exclaimed. "Pepper?! Can you hear me?! What's going on? Are you in _pain?!_ What's happening?!"

Pepper had sat back against her seat, and was smoothing her hands over her contracting belly, trying to breathe her way through it, taking deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth until the pain began to subside. "I'm...okay...right now," she told him, in between breaths. "But I don't know how long until the next one!"

"Okay, baby. Okay. That's alright _,"_ Tony assured her. "It's fine. You're gonna be okay. I _promise."_

Happy had slid into the seat next to her, and offered her his hand, while still holding her phone with the other one. Pepper saw this, and immediately clasped her hand in his, and smiled at him, grateful for the support. "That's right. It'll be okay. I'm right here, Boss. I'm gonna get her through this," he told Tony.

But given the urgency of the moment, and the adrenaline rushing through her veins, tears flooded Pepper's eyes. She gritted her teeth, and swiped at them in annoyance.

"Happy, keep me on the line," Tony commanded. "And _this_ time? Tell me _everything_ that's happening, huh?"

"Sure thing, Boss. I'm not going anywhere," Happy assured him.

Pepper could feel her body start to tense up in anticipation of another on-coming contraction, and she started breathing heavily again. More tears came, as well, and her face contorted as she began to cry, her heart breaking at the thought of Tony not being by her side.

XxXxXxXxXx

Tony had started pacing the floor, listening to everything transpire. He heard Pepper start to groan, and he instantly stopped pacing, feeling frozen in his tracks.

"Oh! _God!_ Huh! Oh my _God,_ this hurts!" he heard his wife cry out in agony as a new contraction hit.

"Pepper?!" he exclaimed. "Happy, damn it! Tell me what's going on?!" he begged. "Better yet! Put me on video!"

Happy quickly obliged, and soon Tony's phone screen fired to life. He could see Happy holding the hand of his extremely distressed wife. None the less, she lolled her head in the direction of the phone, her face contorting with new tears. Her breath caught in her chest, and a sob escaped her throat as soon as she saw him. "Hey, you," she whispered, trying again to give him a brave smile. "Looks like we're having a baby today, after all," she said tearfully.

Tony gave her a regretful smile and a chuckle. He nodded. His heart broke at the thought of having to watch her go through this without him there, but he knew he had to put on a brave face. "You know, I _could_ say that this is what you get for not letting me come with you..." he jokingly began.

But Pepper scoffed, clearly not at _all_ amused by his joke. "God, _r_ _eally?!"_ she exclaimed. "You're choosing _now_ to gloat?!"

"Like I _said,_ I _could_ say that. But I won't. _Instead,_ I'll tell you I _love_ you," he said, with an adoring smile.

This made Pepper soften, but tear up even more. "I love you, _too,"_ she said weakly.

"And we'll get through this, alright? Don't worry. Everything will be _fine,"_ he assured her.

But suddenly, Pepper diverted her attention from the screen and slammed her eyes shut, her face scrunching up as it appeared another contraction was coming on.

"It's okay, just _breathe_ _,"_ Happy said. "Don't be afraid to squeeze my hand if you need to. You're doing _great._ "

"I don't want to hurt you!" she replied, her voice strained, as she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Happy chuckled. "What, are you _kidding?_ Hurt _t_ _hese_ hands? You _are_ aware I was a boxer before I came to work for Tony, right?"

Tony smiled, grateful that his loyal friend was there to comfort her.

It was clear the pain suddenly intensified, as Pepper squirmed in her seat, and arched her back, yowling. "Oh! Ow, ow, ow!" she cried. She huffed and panted, trying to make it through the contraction. " _God, why_ did this have to happen, _now?"_ she cried.

 _"_ Honey, _listen_ to me. You're in good hands," he said. "And Happy's done this before. Right, Hap? With your sister's kids?"

"Uh...well, not, uh...not _directly,_ Boss, but..." the man stammered.

Tony huffed. "Come _on,_ _work_ with me here, huh?! She needs some encouragement, for God's sake!" he commanded.

"Uh, _right!_ Sister's kids! The miracle of birth, and...all of... _that,"_ Happy said, trying his best to play the part.

Tony just rolled his eyes, and redoubled his resolve. "Pepper, you're doing _great,_ okay? You've _got_ this," he said, looking intently at her.

He saw her start inhaling and exhaling, taking deep breaths, and looking like she'd made it through that contraction successfully, though he knew the next one wouldn't be far behind. And that worried him.

"Hap? Am I wrong, or are these contractions coming on fast and furious?" Tony asked. "I'm counting, what...like a _minute_ between them?"

"Yeah. Two, _tops,_ " Happy replied.

Tony sucked in through his teeth, and ran a nervous hand through his hair. " _Shit,"_ he said. "That's _close."_ His mind whirled with the dark possibility that Pepper would need to deliver before they landed. But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her wailing again. His eyes jetted back to the screen.

"Huuuuh- _ahhhhhhh!_ Oh my _God,_ it hurts so much!" Pepper shrieked. She furiously started to pant, her face scrunched up as she groaned in agony. This made Tony's level of panic ratchet up by a thousand points, knowing that the contractions were coming one right after another now, meaning she'd most likely be ready to push in the near future. _Leave it to MY kid to be in a hurry to get here!,_ he thought. Still, he fought to keep his composure, and focus on keeping Pepper as calm as possible by helping her to work through each contraction.

"I _know_ it, honey. I know it hurts," Tony said, in an attempt to reassure her. "You're doing great. And I'm _right here. Breathe_ with me, Pepper. Hee, hee, _hooo._ Hee, hee, _hooo."_

Pepper kept her eyes squeezed shut, but started to mimic her husband's actions, and soon even Happy joined in. Soon, they were all collectively doing their Lamaze breathing, in unison.

 _Hee-hee-hooo. Hee-hee-hooo._

 _Hee-hee-hooo. Hee-hee-hooo._

After a few moments, Pepper slowly began to relax again, her breathing slowing to a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. The men followed suit, tapering off their breathing to watch her, each cautiously awaiting what could happen next. She took an extended deep breath, and Tony gave her a sympathetic look, and then a soft smile. Amidst all of her discomfort, she brought her eyes back to his face and smiled back at him.

"I _need_ you," she murmured. "I need you here with me! I'm scared to do this without you!" she pleaded again, her voice hoarse with fatigue.

"I don't want you to _either, okay?_ But you'll be back here soon, safe and sound, and then we'll get you into the infirmary to have our baby, alright? Our little _girl,"_ he told her, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Together?" Pepper said.

Tony gave her an affirmative nod, and a grin. _"Together,"_ he replied assuredly.

Pepper smiled, and tears ran down her cheeks. "I can't wait to meet her!" she said, her voice giving out with emotion.

"Me, _neither,_ Pep. So just hold _on,_ okay? Everything will be fine!" he told her.

But suddenly, the helicopter violently shuddered, shaking them in their seats. And Happy and Pepper startled. "What the hell was _that?!_ " she cried, turning her eyes to him in panic.

"Happy?" Tony asked. "Did I hear something? What happened?"

"I don't know! Was it a bird or something? It's like we hit _..."_ Then he paused, and sniffed the air. "Wait...Do you...smell smoke?" he asked Pepper.

All at once, an alarm sounded, and Winston spoke. "I am detecting an engine malfunction," he reported.

Pepper gasped. " _No!_ " she howled. "Tony! It's the engine! _Do_ something!"

"Winston?!" Tony cried to his AI pilot. "You land that thing in the next field you see, and send me the GPS coordinates!" he ordered! "Pepper! Hold tight! I'm on my _way!"_

 _"Hurry!"_ Pepper chirped, as another contraction suddenly gripped her body.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony disconnected from the call, but called out to FRIDAY as he bolted for the suit. "FRIDAY! Get a com line open in the chopper while I suit up! I need to stay in communication with Happy and Mrs. Stark!" he ordered.

"Certainly, Sir! Patching you through now!" the AI responded.

He quickly stepped into the suit, its metallic tendrils automatically folding around his body. The face plate on the helmet clamped shut, and soon, the eyes, the Chest RT, and the Repulsors fired to life. "Pepper?!" he said, as soon as he heard the connecting _click_ of the ailing helicopter's communication system in his ear. But there was no response.

"Pepper!" Tony cried, desperate to hear her voice again, and praying they hadn't fallen out of the sky before Winston had had a chance to land.

Still, however, there was nothing.

Tony's heart dropped in panic. _Please don't take my family, please don't take my family,_ he pleaded in his mind as he waited on pins and needles for any sign they were alright.

"Pepper?! Happy! Can anyone hear me?!" he begged frantically. He waited for a moment, his heart nearly stopping in his chest when there was no reply.

"FRIDAY! _Why_ can't I hear them?!" he demanded.

"Getting the flight status from Stark Aviation _now,_ Boss," the AI responded.

Seconds ticked by at a snail's pace. Tony's breathing echoed loudly in his ears, as his mind whirled with horrifying thoughts of the worst possible scenario.

Just then, FRIDAY came back on. "Winston has just landed the chopper. I'm uploading the coordinates for its location now," she reported.

"And the passengers?!" Tony nervously demanded. "Tell me everybody's okay!"

"All are alive and well. The com system in the helicopter is a bit knackered, but I'm making the repairs now. We should have full communication shortly," she replied.

Tony let out a heavy sigh of relief and smiled. " _Good,_ " he said, stepping off the platform. "Once that's complete, start running diagnostics on the engine. And tell my wife I'm on my way."

"Will do, Boss," FRIDAY replied. "And might I give you an early _congratulations?"_

Despite his nerves being as raw as red meat, Tony smiled to himself, unable to deny the feeling of excitement that he and Pepper were well on their way to meeting their daughter. The HUD display in the helmet lit up, and he could see FRIDAY uploading his flight plan. "Thanks. Though I'm _hoping_ I can get that bird back in the air and home _safe_ before those congrats can be made official."

"I'll do my best to help, Boss," the AI responded.

XxXxxXxx

"Unnnngggghhhhhaaahhhhh!" Pepper screamed as another contraction gripped her. She had been panting wildly and whimpering up to that point, as her labor had progressed now to where she was having constant pain of some type, whether it was a nagging ache or a searing stab, giving her almost no relief at all. But once the main peak of that contraction had passed, she attempted to speak to Happy. "W-where _is_ he?! Where's _Tony!"_ she grunted breathlessly. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on!"

"I'm sure he's close, Pepper. Just keep breathing, _"_ he told her. Happy had traded hands with her, as multiple rounds of tight squeezes in fact _had_ left the previous one a bit sore. He also had stripped his tie, and wadded it in his hand to dab her damp forehead as needed. Pepper had shed her outer suit jacket and blouse, and was down to the camisole she'd worn underneath. It, _too,_ was very damp with sweat. Thankfully, though, all apparel was still intact and in _place_ on her lower half.

 _Something that's subject to change if Tony doesn't hurry his ass up!,_ Happy thought nervously. He loved his two friends and co-bosses _dearly._ But delivering a baby was certainly _not_ in his field of expertise, _or_ in his job description. And, in all honesty, he wasn't sure he'd be able to look Pepper in the eye ever again if it came to having to get that personal with her. The embarrassment and awkwardness would be far too great.

 _All I know is, if I end up bringing their kid into the world, Tony had BETTER make it up to me BIG TIME. Starting with letting me keep my title!,_ he thought. _And then sending me to one of those resorts where you can get a massage on the beach, and endless mai-tais! Oh! And giving me a raise. A BIG one. And giving me every Christmas off! And..._

The making of his mental wish-list was interrupted by a vice-like grip to his hand, and Pepper letting out an earth-shattering shriek, followed by inconsolable sobbing. She then panted and huffed, completely exasperated. "I _do not_ wanna have this baby without Tony here! He can't miss the birth of our first child! He just _can't!"_ she begged after the contraction had passed.

"And he _won't,_ " Happy assured her, though he was seriously doubting the truth in his own words.

But just then, an alert sounded that there was incoming communication.

"That had better be good news, _"_ Happy breathed, hoping upon hope Tony was calling to tell them he was close.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Communication has been re-established with the helicopter, Boss. I'm patching you through," FRIDAY informed Tony just moments after he got into the air. And, instantly, his ears were met with the sound of Pepper's shrill yowling. He winced from the assault on his ears, and listened as Happy worked to coach her through her pain.

" _Breathe,_ Pepper. Just _breathe,_ " he heard Happy tell her.

" _Hon-ey?_ How we _do-ing?_ " Tony said after the worst had passed, trying to sound sweet and supportive.

"Don't _ask!_ Just _get_ here!" Pepper abruptly barked back.

"Uh, I second that, Tony! Seems like things are really moving along here!" Happy anxiously chimed in.

"I'll be there soon, guys, trust me. But talk to me. What are we looking at, Hap?" Tony commanded. He happened to glance off into the distance, toward the South, and noticed puffy, moisture laden clouds were beginning to gather. _Looks like rain,_ he mused.

"What, do you _really_ think I'm gettin' a good look at things? With all do respect, I've avoided having to get to know the business end of your wife up to this point, Tony! Thank you very much for asking," Happy retorted.

"Yeah, alright, I gotcha'. Bad choice of words," Tony quickly recanted. "What I _mean_ is, she's not pushing yet, is she?"

"I _wish!"_ Pepper chirped. "God! I feel like I'm being split in two!"

"No pushing, Pepper! Do whatever you have to do to hold off! Breathe. Stand on your head. Sit on a pillow. Just _don't_ push! I'm almost there!" Tony pleaded.

"Almost?! What's _almost?!"_ Pepper demanded.

XxXxXxXx

No sooner had Pepper asked the question that a loud blast and a roar resembling jet engines came from outside. Then, all at once, the sliding door to the cockpit of the helicopter was yanked open to reveal Tony. Or rather, _Iron Man._

 _"_ Does _this_ count?" he quipped, popping open the facial plate to reveal his beaming face.

Pepper gasped, and beamed back at her husband. "You _made_ it!" she cried in great relief.

"Of _course,_ I did. You think I'd miss _this?"_ he asked with a teasing smirk, as the suit released him and he climbed inside the cockpit. Pepper immediately pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. Then she cupped his cheeks in her hands, and kissed his lips soundly. Happy saw this, and averted his eyes bashfully at the loving exchange.

"I thought you'd _never_ get here!" she murmured, as happy tears flooded her eyes when she pulled back to look at her husband.

"I came as quick as I could, Baby," Tony murmured back, gazing lovingly at her.

"And thank _God_ you _did_ ," Happy grunted, crawling back into the seat diagonally across from Pepper to make room for Tony. He began fanning himself, breathless, and dabbing at his own forehead with his tie, now.

Tony turned to give him a perplexed look over his shoulder. "Damn, Hogan! You'd think _you_ were the one giving _birth,"_ he joked, moving to take the seat next to his wife.

"I _know,_ right? This lamaze, birth-coaching stuff is hard _work,"_ Happy replied obliviously.

Before Tony had a chance to respond, Pepper yowled loudly again, feeling another contraction coming on. She started panting rapidly, and Tony quickly slid directly beside her, offering her his hand to squeeze, and bracing himself on the back of her seat with the other one. "It's okay, Pep. Just _breathe._ Like we _practiced._ Remember?" he told her, his tone soft and calm. Pepper closed her eyes, and began her breathing as Tony instructed, the reassuring purr of his voice soothing her nerves instantly, despite her severe pain.

"That's it. You're doing _great,"_ he encouraged, keeping his voice low. He watched her intently as she worked through the pain, and when it appeared she was successful, he planted a lingering kiss to her temple.

Pepper kept her eyes closed, but let out a heavy sigh of relief as she laid her forehead against his, smiling weakly and loosely gripping the front of his shirt to pull him even nearer to her.

Tony smiled. "You're _amazing._ I'm so proud of you," he told her.

Pepper opened her eyes to gaze at her husband, and found him gazing right back at her in adoration. She smiled. "It's so much better now that you're here!" she murmured, as more tears of relief filled her eyes. "I was afraid I'd have to do this alone!"

Tony shook his head. " _Never,"_ he said emphatically. "You _know_ I wouldn't let that happen. After _all,_ " he said, turning his head and nodding at Happy. "That's the whole reason why I sent _him."_

XxXxXxXxXx

Tony continue to help ease Pepper through the next few contractions, at which Happy marveled. Sure, she still was enduring a large amount of pain. But the way he coached her through each moment, assuring her and reassuring her that she was doing well and making progress made it seem to him like...

"You guys are _pros_ at this. _Really._ It's something to behold," Happy said, after Pepper had successfully made it through another contraction.

They both looked at him, and then looked at each other in confusion. " _Pros?"_ Tony parroted.

"We're just...doing what all of the books and classes taught us, " Pepper answered, in between deep breaths.

"Well, you're quick studies," Happy answered. "They should remake the instructional videos with you guys."

Tony gave his wife a proud smile, and a playful wink. She smiled proudly back at him.

He leaned back against his seat, and gazed up at her, laying a gentle hand on her stomach. "Whadya' say, my Missus? Think we make a pretty good birthing team?" he asked playfully.

Pepper mustered a happy, but fatigued, chuckle, laying her hand over his. "So far, so good," she replied. "But only when we're holding our baby will we _really_ be able to know."

Tony nodded once in the affirmative. "Fair enough," he said, with a smirk, leaning in to peck her lips.

Just then, FRIDAY's voice came over the speakers. "Boss, I've run the diagnostics on the engine," she told him.

"And?" Tony replied, sitting back up at full attention.

"And it doesn't look good. Seems the reason for the engine failure was a leak in the fuel line that caused the intake manifold to flood. Without first repairing or replacing the damaged line, and allowing that excess fuel to drain, you'll run the risk of..."

"Starting an engine fire if we try to start her up again," Tony deduced glumly, finishing FRIDAY's sentence. "Well. That explains the smoke you smelled earlier, Hap. We're lucky the whole _thing_ didn't go up while you were still in the air." He thought for a moment. "What's the fuel line made out of, FRIDAY? Metal or rubber?" he asked.

"Rubber, Boss."

" _Damn,_ " Tony huffed.

Pepper looked at her husband with concern. "So, what does this mean?" she asked.

Tony took a breath before answering, "It _means,"_ he said, turning his eyes to hers. "I probably won't be able to fix it. Not _here,_ anyway. If it were metal, I could probably patch it well enough to get us home. But it's _not._ And I don't exactly carry spare rubber fuel lines around with me."

Pepper frowned in thought. "Emergency transport," she said finally. "How soon can we get an ambulance out here?"

"FRIDAY? A little help?" Tony asked his AI.

"The nearest township with any type of medical transport is a good two hours away by road, Boss. Quite possibly longer, considering the difficulty they might encounter reaching this remote location. So I'm searching any available med-evac options from the surrounding areas. One moment..." the AI replied.

They all waited with baited breath for her to respond with her findings, the only sound heard between them was Pepper's panting. And, soon the soft _pitter-patter_ of some rain drops falling on the windows. But, in short order, that soft drizzle grew into a cloudburst.

Tony frowned, and looked at Happy, who was frowning as well, both of them knowing instantly what this could mean if the weather wasn't going to hold out.

Then suddenly, a bolt of lightening lit up the sky, followed by a rumbling clap of thunder, rattling them all in their seats. "Oh what the _hell!"_ Tony growled in frustration. " _Seriously?!_ FRIDAY! What's the forecast? How soon before this passes?"

"I'm afraid it's socked in for what appears to be the next few hours, Sir. It's a large storm that quickly blew in from the Southwest. All flights in the immediate area are now temporarily grounded until the storm passes. That includes any emergency aviation," she explained.

" _Shit!"_ Tony barked, smacking his fist against the armrest between he and Pepper.

She looked at him with wide-eyed trepidation, her chest beginning to heave- not with oncoming birth pains, but with _panic_. "Does this mean that we're..." she began. But suddenly, her speech stopped, and her face contorted as it was clear that another contraction was imminent. " _Stranded?_ " she managed to squeak out, straining as the pain hit.

Tony didn't answer right away. He and Happy just exchanged worried glances, both men understanding that they were quickly being left with very few options, as they sat in a downed helicopter in the middle of an open field, with a laboring woman on the cusp of giving birth. In a downpour. In the middle of _nowhere._


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the delay! I know it's been a few days, but I finally got a chance to work this chapter over the way I wanted to! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for all of the reviews! They mean so much! Happy reading, and long live Pepperony! :D**

Suddenly, a blaring alarm went off on Happy's phone, causing them all to nearly jump out of their skin.

" _What_ the hell is that _noise_ _?!"_ Pepper exclaimed above the din.

"Holy _Hell,_ Happy! Doesn't that thing have a _volume_ control?!" Tony exclaimed.

"Sorry! Sorry. Let me just...hold on a sec, and I'll..." he stammered. He quickly jerked it out of his pocket and jabbed the volume button to mute the invasive racket. The alarm promptly silenced, and then Happy swiped his thumb across his screen to see what caused the commotion. It was an emergency weather alert, notifying him of a severe thunderstorm, with possible flash flooding in low-lying areas.

"Oh, _now_ you're telling me it's gonna rain?!" he huffed. "And guess _w_ _hat?_ Traffic in mid-town Manhattan was moderate to heavy two hours ago! Good to know," he stated snidely, shoving the phone defiantly back into his pocket, and crossly folding his arms. " _Unbelievable,"_ he muttered in disgust.

"Like things aren't tense enough, man! You've gotta scare the crap out of us, too?" Tony scolded.

"I forgot I had it up that loud for the ride back, okay?! I'm _sorry!_ I normally remember to turn it down, but you could say I've been a _little_ distracted! _"_ Happy answered in his own defense.

Tony just frowned and shook his head, as he went back to trying to think of any other possibilities for help. "Any houses around here, FRIDAY? Farmers? Other locals?" he asked hopefully.

"It appears this field has gone un-tended for quite some time, Boss. The only structure remaining on the property is an old, abandoned house. And no other neighbors are near by."

 _Well, this just keeps getting better,_ Tony thought, as he pensively worked his jaw. Then he teetered his head from side to side, trying to rationalize a sudden thought he was having. "I...could _try_ to fly back to..."

Pepper's eyes widened. "Ohhhh, _no!_ You are _not_ leaving us here to fly off into a major rainstorm with thunder and lightening and God _knows_ what else! You are staying _put,_ Mister! Where it's half-way safe and sound, and that's _final!_ I'm not going to be in the throws of hard labor _and_ have to worry about you, too!"

"I wouldn't be _leaving_ you, Pep. _Believe_ me. That's the _last_ thing I wanna do," he assured her. "I meant _remotely._ FRIDAY could auto-pilot the suit back to the compound, grab the part I need to fix this thing, fly the suit _back,_ and... _hopefully..._ " he said, shrugging. He turned his eyes upward. "FRIDAY? How's the autopilot protocol coming along? We work out those bugs in the upgrade yet?"

"Still testing, Boss. But I have to mention- with all of the inclement weather, the flight plan would have to be adjusted to circumvent the storm. Even _with_ auto-pilot engaged, round-trip flight time will be considerably lengthened," the AI reported.

Pepper frowned as she processed what he and FRIDAY were proposing. Then she turned her head to stare at the floor in front of her, as she reached her conclusion. She closed her eyes, and shook her head sadly. "There won't be enough _time,"_ she murmured.

Tony frowned. "What was that, Pep?" he asked, turning his attention from his AI to his wife.

Pepper turned her eyes back to him and looked at him glumly. "I said I don't think there will be enough time to repair the helicopter and get us back to the compound," she repeated. She took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh. "I think it's clear this baby's going to come pretty quickly. So _that_ means we've got to face facts- I'm going to end up giving birth in the back of a broken-down helicopter," she murmured in defeat.

Tony winced at her disappointment. "Not the _ideal_ situation, I know, but..."

Pepper turned her head to look at her husband again. "I'm _sorry,"_ she said, chewing her lip to keep her chin from quivering. But her cover was blown, as tears filled her eyes, and spilled over onto her cheeks. "It's all my fault! I should _never_ have gone to that meeting! I should've stayed at the compound, and phoned it in, or sent a _proxy,_ or..."

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Come on, Pep," Tony urged, pulling her into a hug. Pepper began to softly sob on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "It's not as bad as it sounds! Things could be worse!"

Pepper sniffed and pulled back to give him a skeptical look. "Oh, _really_ _?_ Is _this_ how you pictured the birth of our first child?" she asked him pointedly.

Tony shrugged. "Well, _no,"_ he said, matter of fact. "That's _obvious._ But I know _one_ thing," he said.

Pepper quirked a curious eyebrow.

"I know I've only ever pictured doing this with _you,"_ he cooed, give her a flirtatious smirk. "So it doesn't matter _where_ we have our baby. As long as we're _together_ , right? And she comes out healthy?"

A sob escaped Pepper's lips, and she gave him a sheepish smile. She then nodded her head. "Yes. Yes, of _course_ that's all that matters," she agreed, giving him a brave smile.

Tony smiled back, but then looked at her intently. "All the _same,_ though? I'm _still_ gonna have FRIDAY fly the suit back to get the part. At least _this_ way, we know we've got a decent chance at getting this thing out of this field in the near future," he explained. "And getting you and the baby home _safe."_

"But what about the bugs in the upgrade? Is it even doable right now?" Pepper asked.

"It's doable _enough,_ " Tony assured her. "Just be glad I don't have to man the suit in these situations any more."

Pepper smiled, and nodded. "I'm _very_ grateful for that," she replied.

Tony smiled at his wife before once again turning his eyes upward to speak to his AI. "Okay, FRIDAY! Time to kick the tires and light the fires! The suit's going back to the compound," he ordered.

Outside, they could suddenly hear the suit power up and engage. A blast fired from the jets before it rocketed upward into the sky. "Got it, Boss. Uploading rerouted flight plan now. Estimated flight time to destination: 3 hrs."

Happy whistled in disbelief. "It must be a _hell_ of a storm for the suit to have to go _that_ far off course," he commented.

Tony nodded. "You can say _that_ again," he replied.

Suddenly, Pepper gasped. She could feel her body preparing for another contraction. "Huh! Ohhhhhh, _wow!"_ she cried as the pain came on. She squeezed her eyes closed again, and began panting. "Quick! I need to move. I need to change positions," she suddenly announced, opening her eyes, and lumbering to sit up.

"Okay? What do you want to do, honey," Tony asked, standing up to lend her a hand and help her to move to where she wanted to be.

Pepper accepted his help, and he braced himself so that she could pull herself up to stand, panting all the while. Then, slowly, she turned around, and situated her body so that she was facing the seat, and kneeling on the cushion, sitting up high on her knees. She gripped the back of the seat, laid her forehead on the head rest and began to take deep breaths. Tony moved in close behind her, resting one knee on the cushion as well, so she could lean back against him if needed. "Here. Is this where you want me?" he asked her softly.

Pepper, in the midst of her breathing, just simply nodded. Tony brushed her long hair off to one side, and laid a gentle kiss on the top of her shoulder as she worked through the pain. He then reached for her hand which was on the back of the seat, putting his over the top of hers and interlacing their fingers. Pepper obliged, gripping his hand and squeezing it once again for support. Tony wrapped the other arm around her body, and rubbed slow soothing circles over her belly, along her side and up and down her back.

" _Breathe_ with me, Pep. Hee-hee- _hoo._ Hee-hee- _hoo,_ " he murmured, his tone once again measured and calm. She joined in, and they worked together for a few moments until the bulk of the pain subsided. When that happened, she began to take deep breaths again. And Tony continued to run his hand up and down her back to massage her aching muscles. Pepper sighed heavily in relief, indicating the worst was over.

" _There_ we go. Another one down _,_ baby. Good job," he encouraged. "You're doing _so_ well."

Pepper whimpered a "thank you," in reply, and, after a few moments, eased herself off the back of the seat to lean back against Tony's chest, lolling her head against his shoulder, and closing her eyes. He moved so she could put her weight on him squarely. He then smiled and turned to gently kiss her temple. He laid his hands on her stomach, one over the top, and one along the bottom, feeling her relax and settle in to his embrace. Slowly, he began rock their upper bodies gently from side to side. Pepper moaned softly in approval.

"Yes. This is _nice._ Keep doing _this,"_ she murmured weakly. She laid her hands on the center of her belly, noticing their movements were helping to calm their baby _and_ her body for the time being.

They kept rocking, silently, for several moments, as she took some more deep breaths, breathing in through her nose, and blowing out through her mouth. " _That's_ right, Pep. Nice, deep cleansing breaths," Tony murmured, continuing to encourage her.

Pepper was relishing having a chance to rest between contractions. But it didn't last long. Only moments had passed before she began to moan again.

"Got another one coming? _Already?_ " Tony asked her, as he continued to rock them back and forth.

Pepper bit her lips together, and nodded. Her moaning then began to escalate from being very soft in volume to a full out wail. "Oh! _God! Here it comes!"_ she squealed.

"Wanna move again?" Tony asked.

Pepper shook her head. "No! Stay just like this! Keep doing what you're doing!" she ordered.

"Got it," Tony said, keeping the gentle rocking going.

Pepper was now moaning quite loudly, and continually. Tony ran a hand over her contracted belly, murmuring encouragement to her and coaching her breathing for the duration until the pain finally began to subside. And once it did, Pepper was reduced to a tearful whimper while trying to catch her breath. He kissed her temple again, and squeezed her upper arm lovingly.

"Another good one, Pep. You're doing _awesome,"_ he told her.

"God, I would _kill_ for a giant dose of morphine right now!" she commented, raising her head, and turning to look at him through weary eyes.

Tony chuckled. "And what, blow our whole plan for natural child birth?" he joked. He glance over his shoulder, and he and Happy shared an amused glance.

"Oh _please,"_ Pepper retorted. "Was it not for the current circumstances, I would have given up _that_ plan _long_ ago. All of this pain is _exhausting."_

"Well, all the same, you're doing a spectacular job, Baby," Tony told her. "Honest. I'm amazed by how well you're handling this."

Pepper gave him a weak smile, and moved forward to lean on the back of the seat again, draping her arms over it once more, and resting her forehead back on the center of the headrest. Soon, she began to take deep breaths again, and Tony started massaging her back. "Got another one coming on?" he asked her quietly.

She gave him a whimpering, " _Yes!"_ before her breath promptly caught in her chest. Her hand went swiftly to her lower stomach, and she hunched even further over, letting out a yowl. "Oh, _God,_ this one's gonna be bad! I think they're getting stronger!" she croaked, her voice giving out with strain as the pain over took her. She then grabbed for Tony's hand, and braced for what was coming.

Tony's eyes suddenly went wide, knowing what the sudden uptick in magnitude meant. "Seriously, Pep?! You think you're to _that_ point? _Already?"_ Tony asked.

Pepper nodded emphatically, with her eyes squeezed shut. " _Yes!"_ she squeaked.

Happy suddenly sat up with rapt attention. " _Point?!"_ he exclaimed. "What 'point'? What are we talking about?"

But Happy's questions went unanswered.

"There's no way," Tony argued, shaking his head in disbelief. "I mean, I knew you were moving fast, but this is moving _way too_ fast. Wow. There's just no way."

Pepper gritted her teeth as she was racked with agonizing pain. " _What_ did you think I meant by ' _this baby's going to come quickly'?_ And _why_ are you insisting that your own _child_ wouldn't be in any sort of _hurry?!"_ she cried. "For _God's_ sake! She's _yours!_ That's reason _enough!_ "

"But _y_ ou've only been in labor for a couple of hours!" Tony countered.

"Have you learned _nothing_ in the last nine months?! _Every_ delivery is _different_!" Pepper retorted. "There are no time constraints! That's ridiculous!"

Happy scrambled to move to the edge of the seat directly beside them. "So...it's show time? She's gonna push?!" he exclaimed, wide eyed.

Tony exhaled sharply, shoring up his resolve. Then, he slapped Happy on the shoulder, and nodded. "Yup! Looks like it, buddy!" he replied. He then turned his attention back to his wife to help get her through the rest of the pain. Happy swallowed hard, and just stared blankly into the middle distance as the reality of the situation set in.

"You can do this, Pepper. I _know_ you can," he heard Tony tell her.

"But I'm so tired! And it already hurts so much! I just want it to be over!" Pepper replied back to him, her voice weak with compounding fatigue.

"So do I. We _all_ do. Believe me," Tony agreed. "But you're doing great. Just keep going, push when you need to, and focus on what it's gonna be like when we finally get to see her! She's gonna be _beautiful._ Just like her _mother,_ " he gushed.

Pepper smiled bashfully. "Well, I don't know how beautiful I look right _now,_ but I love you for saying it," she said. "For saying _all_ of it."

"I love you, _too,"_ he heard Tony reply back. "And are you _kidding?_ You're having my baby. You've never _been_ more beautiful. _Now_ , how 'bout we do this thing, huh, Mrs. Stark?"

Pepper chuckled, and nodded wearily. "Yes. How 'bout we _do,"_ she replied _._

Despite his own growing sense of panic, Happy smiled in admiration at his friends. He couldn't imagine anyone else with whom he'd rather be in this situation. They were so in love, and so excited for their first child. _And after all they've been through, they completely deserve all the happiness in the world,_ he mused.

So he took a deep breath to renew his own gumption, and looked at the couple intently. "Tell me what to do, guys. I'm here to help," he offered.


	6. Chapter 6

**FINALLY able to update this one! Maybe one more chapter to go, and it'll be done! :D**

 **Thank you to all who left reviews! It's been a fun one to write, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it! :D :D :D**

 **And now? How bout some Stark baby joy, hmmmm?! ;) :D**

Happy immediately began unbuttoning his shirt cuffs and rolling up his sleeves. While Tony continued assisting Pepper through her toughest contraction yet, he was watching his friend out of the corner of his eye.

Once Happy had his sleeves rolled up, he began nodding and bobbing his head, and throwing punches in the air, as if he were warming up for a boxing match. He was panting and huffing, cracking his neck and working his jaw in true preparation.

"Uh...Hap?" Tony said, trying not to let the corners up his mouth quirk up in amusement.

Happy continued throwing hooks and jabs in the air. "Yeah, boss?" he asked.

Tony gave him a knowing smirk. "Uh...you _do_ know this isn't a fight at Caesar's, right?" he asked sardonically.

Happy shrugged. "Same diff," he replied. "It's going to be physically and mentally exerting, so...you know. I've gotta warm up."

Tony clucked his tongue, and nodded. "Uh- _huh,"_ he responded skeptically.

"Huuuuuuhhhhhhahhhhhhh!" Pepper shrieked, instantaneously directing Tony's attention back to her. "Oh! Oh my _God,_ this one is even worse than the last!"

"You wanna change positions again? Do you need to push?" Tony asked.

"I don't know! I don't know what I need to do right now! All I know is it _really_ _hurts!"_ Pepper spouted back before she began panting.

Tony worked his jaw in worried thought. They really needed to know just how close she truly was to giving birth. "FRIDAY? Scan Mrs. Stark. Give me stats on her vitals, and also the progress of her labor," he ordered.

An infrared light suddenly appeared from an eye in the ceiling of the helicopter and scanned over Pepper's laboring body. "Mrs. Stark's vitals are within normal range, given the circumstances. Heart rate and blood pressure is elevated, but stable," FRIDAY reported. "The infant has successfully turned, and is in position for birth. Cervical dilation is at nine centimeters and gaining, Boss. Baby Stark's arrival is _imminent_."

" _Wow,"_ Tony gasped.

Despite her exhaustion, Pepper chuckled softly at him. " _Now_ do you believe me?" she joked breathlessly.

He gave her a delighted smile before returning back to business. "So what should we do? Do you want to get into birthing position, now?" he asked.

Pepper shook her head. "I don't want to be on my back. It's already killing me. And, besides, I'm working against gravity that way. So, we're scrapping _that_ plan," she explained.

"So, _what_ then?" Tony asked.

"I'll squat," Pepper said simply.

"You'll squat," Tony parroted.

Pepper nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's not the most _becoming_ position, I know. But they say it's very effective. And I'll take all of the help I can get," she said. "I just want to get this _over_ with."

Tony and Happy looked at each other in trepidation, knowing what was coming next. "So...I guess the only question is...who's going to be... _where,_ I suppose?" Happy asked cautiously.

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Uh...well, I...guess that's up to Pepper," he said, turning his eyes back to his wife. "Right, honey?"

She didn't answer, as she was too busy panting and grunting through another contraction. They were coming one right after another now, a sure indicator she was very close to delivering.

"I mean, she's _your_ wife. So obviously _I'm_ not the one to have a look at the...goings- _on_ of her... _southern hemisphere,_ if you know what I _mean_..." Happy stammered.

Tony quickly shook his head. " _No._ You're right, I should be...the one to..." he said muttered, his brow furrowed. He pursed his lips at the thought of what he was agreeing to, suddenly realizing the gravitas of the situation. And, frankly, it was making him nervous. To say the _least._

"So, then, that means that I'm the moral support?" Happy asked.

Tony looked at Happy, and worked his jaw in thought for a moment. "I... _guess?"_ he answered.

Just then Pepper out a loud yelp. "Whatever you're going to do, just stop talking and do it already!" she ordered. "I need to push!"

Both men startled, and then quickly bolted to their agreed upon positions, as Pepper moved herself off the seat, and planted her feet on the floor, her knees bent deeply, and legs spread wide, leaning her upper body against the edge of the seat. Happy knelt down on the floor beside her, and grasped her hand as she began to pant again.

Tony took position at the other end, and exhaled sharply, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

"Alright, Pep! Ready when you are!" he told her nervously, his eyes alight with excitement and anticipation.

Pepper nodded and took a deep breath before baring down, her face scrunching tightly in her efforts.

"That's it, Pepper! Push!" Happy coached.

She continued for several moments until the contraction gave out, letting out a grunt of exhaustion when she'd finished pushing. Her chest heaved, and she closed her eyes, trying to regather her strength.

Only moments later did the next contraction begin, and the cycle started again, with both men coaching Pepper through her pushing. And on it went, again and again, with each new round coming right behind the last in rapid succession.

After several minutes, both men could see Pepper was beyond exhaustion, as she was struggling to catch her breath between contractions, and her pushing efforts were waning.

"Anything, yet?" she hoarsely asked Tony.

He gave his wife a regretful smile. "No. No sign of Mini-Me, _yet,_ Baby. But you're doing an amazing job! Just keep going, okay? It'll all be over _soon,_ " he assured her.

Pepper gave him a weak smile, but soon her expression fell, and her eyes widened. She arched her back, and winced in pain. "Oh my _God!"_ she howled. "Oh _wow,_ does that burn!"

Tony raised his head, startled, and gave her an inquisitive look. " _Burn?"_ he asked. But Pepper was left no time to answer, as he shifted his eyes downward, and instantly recoiled, snapping his eyes shut, and turning his head away. " _Wow,_ okay! There's _blood,_ now. And a lot of... _other..._ wow. Yeah, that's rough," he prattled.

Pepper groused at him. "What! _What's_ the _matter?!"_ she demanded. "What did you _see?!"_

"It's the...at least I _think_ it's the...top of the," Tony stammered, gesturing wildly in attempts to explain what he was failing at saying.

"The _what?!_ " Happy and Pepper both said in unison.

"The _head,"_ Tony finally answered them emphatically. "Okay, and _now_ the room is spinning. Hold up," he said, raising his head and blinking his eyes to steady his vision.

" 'Hold _up'_ _?!_ Oh, for _God's_ sake!" Pepper spouted. "I am giving _birth_ , here! Not hailing a cab! What did you expect crowning to _look_ like, _Tony?!"_

"I don't know, Pepper! Okay?! All I know is it's a little _too_ real right now, and I just need a minute to...gather my..." he stammered. He closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth, taking deep breaths. "Whew, okay. I'm good," he coached himself.

"Are you _sure?"_ Pepper goaded. "Are you _sure_ you're 'good'?! Because God _knows_ we can just keep 'holding everything _up'_ and continue to wait if you _aren't!"_

Tony gave her a defensive frown. "Okay, I _know_ you're in a lot of pain, and you don't _mean_ to snap at me so I won't snap _back._ But _y_ _es,_ _dear_! I'm _sure,"_ he answered resolutely. He took another deep breath and blew it out. "Alright. I'm ready. Let's do this," he said, knocking his head from side to side to crack his neck, and shaking out his hands at the wrists.

Pepper suddenly jolted. "Huh! Oh, ow ow ow!" she cried. She took a deep breath through her gritted teeth, and then bared down again.

"Whoa! Holy _hell!_ " Tony suddenly crowed when she did this, rocking back from his knees to his haunches. "Never mind. I'm _not_ good. Little woozy..."

Pepper watched as Tony's eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out, slumping back against the opposite facing seat unconscious.

"Tony?!" she cried. "Oh my God! Happy, _do_ something!"

"Boss?! Tony?!" Happy exclaimed, moving from his place beside Pepper over to where his friend was lying. He clapped his hands to the sides of Tony's face, and began rapidly patting his cheek. "Wake up, Pal! Come on! Up and at 'em!"

Pepper was obviously in _no_ position to help, and in knowing this, the frustration of the moment was almost too much for her to take. Her shoulders began to shake with oncoming sobs. "Damn it! He's going to miss it! She's coming at any minute, and he's going to miss it!" she lamented.

"No, he's not, Pepper! I won't let him!" Happy assured her. He turned his eyes back to her husband, and began smacking his cheek harder now. "Come _on,_ Tony! Your daughter's almost here! Wake up!"

In the meantime, Pepper was racked with another strong urge to push. She took in a gasping breath, and yowled as she bore down again to push, instantly jerking Happy's attention away from her unconscious husband and back to what was happening with her. Happy, without thinking twice, glanced over to her, and consequently got an eyeful of Baby Stark's imminent arrival as more of the baby's head emerged.

"Whoa! Ho- _ly_ _Mother!"_ he barked, scrambling away from Tony toward Pepper. "The head's almost out. She's coming! She's almost here!" he exclaimed, locking eyes with her.

Pepper gasped, and managed to smile through her tears at the news, as she continued to pant and push.

"That's it! That's it! Just keep pushing!" he coached her, forgetting his previous inhibitions and giving her an excited smile.

Just then, Tony groaned, and his eyes slowly opened. "What the _hell._ What _happened,"_ he mumbled, lazily lolling his head to the side toward Happy and Pepper. Instantly, his eyes went wide and he shot straight up when he realized what was going on, and he scrambled over to his wife.

"Oh my _God,_ Pep! I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!" he rattled off, giving his wife a panicked look.

" _You...passed...out,"_ Pepper informed him, gasping for breath.

Tony nodded, and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" he babbled.

Pepper was about to answer, but then she gritted her teeth as she was interrupted by the urge to push again. She squeezed her eyes shut, as she worked to regather her strength.

"The baby's almost _here,_ Boss," Happy told him. "The head's nearly out."

Tony's eyes widened. " _Really?!"_ he asked. But then he recanted. "You _looked?"_ he asked, with a defensive lilt to his voice.

Happy gave him a wry look. "What _else_ could I do? While you were out _cold,_ tough guy, _s_ _omebody_ had to take over!" he replied. "Besides, all of those years in the ring gave me a stronger constitution for these things than _you._ So, I _got_ this. Alright?"

Tony relented, and smiled sheepishly at his friend, and then gave him a jovial pat on the arm, and a nod in the affirmative. "Well, then I guess I'll let it slide. Just this _once,_ " he joked.

"Oh, how _thoughtful_ of you. Now if you don't mind? Your wife's havin' a baby over here!" Happy snarked back, as he prepped to help bring the baby into the world.

Tony knelt beside Pepper, and grasped her hand, patting the back of it. "I'm _here_ for you, Pep," he told to her. "What do you need me to do?"

"Get behind me," she instructed. "I need you as a support. I'm _exhausted."_

Tony gave her an understanding nod. "Sure thing," he said, moving to sit on the edge of the seat behind her. Pepper shifted so that she could lean against his upper body and wrap her arms around his upper arms as he wrapped his forearms around her torso. When they were once again settled, Pepper raised her eyes up and over to look at her husband, and he smiled down at her, laying a gentle kiss on her forehead.

They shared a brief, but weary, look of anticipation.

"You ready, Pep? After all this time, you ready to meet our baby girl?" he murmured to her, his eyes sparkling in excitement.

Pepper smiled, and nodded. "I can't _wait_ ," she murmured back.

Tony smiled lovingly, then gave her a curious look. "Then let's do this, already, huh? What's the hold up?" he joked.

Pepper chuckled softly, and took a deep breath before she gritted her teeth, and squeezed her eyes closed, grunting as she deepened her squat.

"That's it! It's working! Keep doing _that!"_ Happy urged, watching the positive effects of her efforts.

"Push, Pepper! _Push!_ " Tony cried.

"I _aaaaaaaaaammmmmmmm!"_ Pepper shrieked, as she pushed with every ounce of strength she could muster.

"Here she comes! Here she comes!" Happy exclaimed excitedly, working to help ease the infant into the world.

Suddenly, Pepper's body released, and her legs gave out right as the baby emerged. "Oh!" she gasped tearfully as she and Tony laid eyes on their brand new little girl for the first time.

"She's _here!_ You _did_ it, Pep!" Tony exclaimed breathlessly, planting a kiss to her temple.

Happy held the baby in his hands, and gasped, as well, in joy and shock at what had just happened. But quickly frowned, as he realized something wasn't right.

Tony noticed this look on his friend's face. "Hap?" he asked.

"She's not crying," Pepper observed, her expression moving from elation to panic. She glanced back and forth from her daughter to Happy, and then to Tony, chest heaving. "Tony, why isn't she crying? She should be crying. Why isn't she crying?!" she demanded.

Tony moved from behind his wife, and rushed to Happy.

Happy gently laid the baby on her back on the floor, her color not a rosy pink, but more of a pale purple. "It's the cord. It's around her neck," he hurriedly commented, as he quickly moved to untangle her from it. He managed to succeed, but the baby still didn't utter a sound.

"Come on, little one. Breathe for us," Happy muttered, vigorously rubbing the baby's arms and legs, trying to awaken her.

"Is she okay?! Is she going to be okay?!" Pepper begged.

Tony began doing what Happy was doing as well, the two men furiously working together to revive the baby. "Come on, _breathe,"_ Tony pleaded desperately. "FRIDAY! Vitals!" he commanded.

The same infrared eye that had scanned Pepper earlier, now scanned over the baby. "The baby is not breathing, but a weak heartbeat _is_ detected," she reported.

"Good. Continue monitoring, and keep us posted," Tony ordered.

"Sure thing, Boss," FRIDAY replied.

Pepper brought the back of a hand to her lips as tears began to pour down her cheeks. " _Please_ breathe. _Please,"_ she begged her daughter.

Tony flicked his eyes up to his wife and they shared a fearful look before he shifted his gaze back down to his ailing daughter. "Come on. Do it for Daddy _,_ Maria Virginia. Wake up, little girl," he said to his daughter.

"Here. Let's turn her over," Happy suggested. Tony nodded in agreement, and watched as he rolled the baby onto her stomach in his palm, and began firmly patting her back.

"Come on, Little Stark. Let's go. It's go time," Happy muttered as he worked.

Tony helplessly watched Happy, while desperately begging the cosmos to spare his daughter's life. _Please,_ he begged. _Don't let us lose her! Ma! Pop? If you're watching, your grand daughter could use some help!_

Happy gave the infant a few more firm wacks on the back. "Come. _On!"_ he said, giving her an extra firm smack on the behind.

Suddenly, the baby jolted and spluttered, letting out a gargling, watery squawk. Happy quickly rolled her back over to swab her mouth out with his index finger in order to clear her airway. Her skin promptly flushed as she sucked fresh air into her brand new lungs, and successfully breathed her first breaths.

" _There_ we go! That's it! Give us a good cry!" Happy exclaimed, beaming, as the baby began to loudly wail.

Tony looked at his friend in amazement, and then at his wife, sharing an overjoyed smile with her before turning his eyes upward, and closing them. " _Thank you,"_ he whispered in great relieve and gratitude that his plea to the heavens had been answered.

Happy quickly reached for his suit jacket that he'd shed early on to wrap the now thriving baby in. Once he had her as securely swaddled in it as he could, he moved to hand the baby to Pepper, who responded with loving open arms.

"Congratulations. To the _both_ of you. She's absolutely _beautiful,"_ he told her, breathless from all of the excitement.

Pepper smiled, taking the baby from him, and cradling her new daughter in her arms. New tears began to fall, and Pepper's breath caught in her chest. "She's _perfect!"_ she murmured, her voice giving out from emotion. She raised her eyes to look at Happy with a grateful smile. "And we owe it all to _you._ We can't thank you _enough,_ Happy."

Tony moved across the floor to sit beside his wife, and gazed lovingly at the new love of his life. "Hey, _G_ _orgeous,"_ he cooed to his daughter softly, amazed by this tiny little being he and Pepper had created. She had his complexion, and big eyes with a smattering of dark hair, but Pepper's bone structure, and rosebud lips. He didn't want to stop staring, but managed to tear his eyes away long enough to look across at his friend in deep admiration. "Pep's right, Hap. Couldn't have done it without you," he said.

Happy just gave his friends a bashful smile. "I'm just glad I could help," he said humbly. But then he gave Tony an inquisitive look. "But does this mean I get to keep my title?"

Tony chuckled, and nodded. "I think _something_ can be arranged," he joked.


	7. Chapter 7

_**SOOOO much Pepperony to feast on these days, am I right?! That is certainly NOT a bad problem to have! In FACT, it is LOOOOONNNNNGGGG over due! And don't you just LOVE our lovely little lovebirds?! (Can I say the word "love" some more! LOL!) Christmas has come EARLY this year, hasn't it!**_

 _ **I can't get enough of these two! And to celebrate our happy couple, I'm uploading TWO chapters to end this fic. I couldn't resist!**_

 _ **SO thankful to those who have read and reviewed! You don't know what your support means to me!**_

 _ **Happy Pepperony Engagement! And Happy Reading! :D :D :D**_

Outside, the sound of the suit's rockets could be heard, followed by a loud _thud_ when it had clearly landed. "And not a moment too _soon,"_ Tony muttered.

FRIDAY soon spoke with an update. "The suit has returned with the replacement fuel line, Boss. Shall I begin repairs?" she asked.

Tony rolled his eyes. " _No,_ FRIDAY. We've grown rather _fond_ of sitting in this abandoned field in a broken-down helicopter," he spouted with a smirk, making Pepper giggle. "Come on. Let's get this bird in the sky, huh? My wife and baby girl need to get home," he said, giving Pepper a loving smile. She smiled back, and tilted her head to kiss his lips. He kissed her back, letting it linger for a moment before breaking away to gaze at her in amazement of what she'd endured to bring their daughter into the world.

"Got it. And might I give you my _formal_ congratulations? _"_ the AI replied.

"You _may,"_ Tony purred proudly, keeping his eyes on his wife. "And might _I_ say how _amazing you_ are, Mrs. Stark? I'm so proud of you. Look at what you did!" he said in astonishment, moving his eyes from hers to their daughter, who was now a very rosy shade of pink, and sleeping soundly in her mother's arms.

"Look at what _we_ did," Pepper corrected, smiling proudly at the little girl. "She's _perfect._ I can't stop staring at her! I'm so in _love_."

Tony grinned and wrapped his arm around Pepper's shoulder to lean in for a closer look. He gently grasped the baby's hand, and her fingers instantly curled around her father's index finger. Tony and Pepper both chuckled softly when this happened, and he began to lovingly stroke the back of his daughter's hand with the pad of his thumb in reply. "So am _I,"_ he murmured, confessing. He chuckled at himself in surprise. "Who could've guessed, right?"

"I knew you would be _._ I saw it in your eyes the second we found out I was pregnant," Pepper replied, looking up at her husband in admiration. " _That,_ and you wanted to tell anyone who would _listen_ that you were going to be a father."

"She's not wrong," Happy chimed in. "You've had baby-on-the-brain since day _one._ You're complete _mush,_ now," he teased.

"Well, it's only gonna get _worse_ , Hap. Better get used to it," Tony informed him, giving him a defiant grin. Pepper and Happy chuckled.

"Glad to hear it, Boss. That's the way it _should_ be," Happy replied, giving his friend a look of admiration.

Tony and Happy exchanged knowing glances, each recognizing how much things had changed since the early days, when Happy was just an amateur prizefighter, and Tony was a devil-may-care playboy who hired the scrappy guy to be his bodyguard.

Tony's lips curled in a reminiscent smile for a moment before he turned to Pepper with his hands out. "OK, Pep. Hand her over. Gimme the baby. It's Daddy-daughter time, " he commanded.

Pepper scoffed, and then chuckled. "My,my! A new baby _and_ a new philosophy on being handed things. You _are_ coming along _quite_ nicely, Mr. Stark," she teased, as she gingerly placed the baby in Tony's eager hands.

"Well, how can I say no to _this_ little face? _Hellooo,_ beautiful. Yeah, that's right. Daddy's got you," he cooed to his daughter, as he delicately settled the baby into the crook of his elbow and then eased back against the seat.

Pepper grinned lovingly at the sight, and sleepily rested her head against her husband's shoulder. "Oh, _now_ I've done it, haven't I?" she teased. "I may _never_ get her back after this."

"Yep. I'm afraid you've made a grave mistake, here, Potts," Tony joked. "And I regret to inform you that you'll also have to share my heart with another woman from this point forward."

Pepper laughed. "Well, I'm willing to go along for two reasons," she explained. "One, I'm more than happy to share you in _this_ particular set of circumstances. And _two_ , I'm too exhausted to argue."

"Then sleep, Baby. You've certainly earned it," Tony said, turning to kiss the top of his wife's head.

At her husband's behest, Pepper settled in, and let out a relieved sigh as she closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she was sound asleep, and FRIDAY announced that the repairs to the fuel line had been made.

"Then, homeward bound," Tony murmured, not wanting to wake his sleeping wife, infant daughter, and now, he found, his Head of Security, who had also dozed off.

"Sure thing, Boss," the AI murmured back, and soon, Tony felt the rotors engage. Shortly after, the helicopter gently lifted off, and headed north for the compound. The baby seemingly had felt the upward shift in momentum, and frowned, sleepily opening one eye.

"Sshhhhhh, it's okay, Princess. I've got you," Tony quietly assured his daughter. "And look at this! Not even a whole hour old, and you're already taking your first ride in a company helicopter! Are you a _Stark_ , or what?" he mused with a proud, loving smile.

XxXxXxXx

Happy awoke suddenly when he sensed the doors to the waiting room had opened. The chopper had safely landed about an hour before at the compound, and the medical staff had rushed Pepper and the baby off to give them both a thorough exam. Tony, of course, had followed closely behind, stopping only long enough to promise Happy he'd be back to give him any news as soon as he had some before leaving his loyal friend alone to wait.

Tony entered the waiting area about an hour later beaming, and Happy lumbered sleepily out of his seat to meet him.

"How are they? Is everybody okay? How's the baby?" he asked in his lingering grogginess.

"They're _perfect._ Couldn't be better," Tony replied proudly, his eyes sparkling in delight.

"Good. That's _good,"_ Happy said. He then exhaled heavily. "Well. It's been a long night, Boss. I...guess I should turn in..." he began, making a move toward the exit.

"Actually, Pepper would like to see you before you leave," Tony told him. "We...have something we need to talk to you about."

 _It's probably to agree to sign a confidentiality agreement,_ Happy thought, considering the graphic details of the birth. "Uh...sh-sure, Boss. Anything you want," he cautiously replied.

Tony smiled and nodded once in the affirmative before turning to head back toward Pepper's hospital room, with Happy following him.

XxXxXxXxXx

Once they reached the room, Tony opened the door and motioned for Happy to step inside, where he found Pepper resting comfortably in a hospital gown, with her baby girl sleeping softly in her arms. The infant had been bathed, swaddled in receiving blankets, and a tiny bow made of pink satin ribbon had been fastened in her hair.

Pepper smiled at the sight of her friend. "Happy!" she cooed softly. "I'm so glad you've come!"

Happy smiled back and walked to her bedside. "Hi, Pepper. I...uh...I was almost going to head out, but...Tony said you've got something you wanna talk about?" he stammered.

Pepper nodded and inhaled to speak, but Happy spoke up, interrupting. "If it's about what happened tonight?...With my having to...and seeing the..." he stammered again. He brought his hands up in defense. "Look. Don't _worry_. We can pretend it didn't happen. We don't have to mention it ever again. No one needs to know that I...I mean, just know that I tried _really_ hard not to...to _look_ at what was..."

Pepper chuckled, her cheeks reddening in empathy for how embarrassed he seemed to be. "Happy, it's _fine._ You did what you had to _do._ And I'm _grateful_ for it, _believe_ me," she assured him.

Tony moved around to sit next to Pepper on the other side of the bed, and leaned in to put an arm around her shoulders. "We _both_ are, Hap. Honest. You were there for us when we needed you the most. _Plus_ , you saved our daughter's _life._ We can't ever repay you for what you did tonight. _But_..." he said, glancing at Pepper briefly for permission before he proceeded. She gave him an affirmative nod, so Tony continued. "We'd like to _try,"_ he finished.

Happy frowned, not fully understanding. "Are you talking about...the thing I said before about the title?" he asked hopefully.

Tony chuckled. "The Head of Security position is _yours,_ Hap. It was never officially stripped in the _first_ place," he said, getting a delighted smile in reply from his friend. "But Pepper and I feel like you've earned _another_ title, as well. How does _co-Godfather_ sound? It's _co_ because we've kind of already asked Rhodey to be Godfather?" he explained, wincing, and teetering his head from side to side. "But we're _sure_ he'd be willing to share the role _considering."_

Happy gasped, and grinned. "I... _really?_ You guys! I don't know what to say! I'm...I'm flattered! _Honored!_ Are you _kidding?_ You want _me_ to be _Godfather?._..well, _co-Godfather,_ technically. But, _still_ that's..." he babbled.

"Just say _yes,_ Hap," Tony prodded jokingly.

"Yes!" Happy cried. "Absolutely! I accept! Nothing would give me more pleasure!"

Pepper smiled fondly at him. " _Wonderful!"_ she cooed.

Happy then awkwardly motioned to the baby. "You...uh...you mind if I hold my new... _God-daughter?"_ he asked bashfully. "Just for a minute?"

Pepper happily obliged. "Of course! By all means!" she said, slowly handing the baby to him, as Tony watched, grinning at the rough-and-tumble ex boxer suddenly morphing into something of a gentle giant, his daughter looking so tiny in the big man's arms.

After Happy gingerly took the infant from her, he began to softly bounce up and down. "Hey, little one? Long time, no see," he cooed softly. Tony and Pepper watched fondly in silence as Happy gazed at the baby, his expression one of quiet wonder. "She's _beautiful,"_ he reiterated, his voice soft and reverent. "Truly. Like a little doll." Another quiet moment passed before Happy spoke again. "You and me are going to be buddies, aren't we? I already know it," he told the baby.

Tony and Pepper shared a loving glance, their expressions clearly displaying their confidence in their choice to make Happy a part of their family.

After a few moments, Tony spoke up again. "Well? In the interest of moving _on,_ care to tell him what's behind door number _two,_ Pep?" he asked his wife jokingly, making her chuckle.

Happy looked up from the baby with a curious smile. "There's _more?"_ he asked.

Tony moved to start rubbing his hands together, and giving Happy a mischievous smirk. "I just have _one_ question for you, my good man!" he teased. "If you could go _anywhere_ in the world, all expenses paid, _where_ would it be?"

Happy's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth fell agape. "Uh...well, I...uh...I haven't been to my sister's in Hoboken in a while, so...I guess I should probably pay _her_ a visit..."

Tony spluttered, scoffing. "Come _on_! You're killing me. We're offering you a trip of a lifetime, all expenses paid, go where- _ever_ you _want_ , and you pick _New Jersey?!"_ he exclaimed with a grimace. He waived his hands in dismissal. "Get outta here with that already, and live a little, huh?! You can do better than that! Come on, Hap. Give it to me," he urged, gesturing for Happy to give him what he was asking for. "Where would your dream vacation be?"

Happy worked his jaw, frowning as he thought. "Anywhere?" he asked.

" _Anywhere,"_ Tony and Pepper answered in unison.

Happy smiled, and then chuckled sheepishly, thinking for a moment longer before a knowing smile crept over his lips. "Somewhere you can get a massage while drinking endless Mai-Tai's on the _beach_ ," he said, his voice dreamy but his answer resolute.

Tony grinned slyly. "I know _just_ the place," he replied with a smirk.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, look who's up! And just in _time,_ too, _"_ Tony cooed to his new born daughter, after noticing Pepper was nearing the entrance of the lab at the compound one afternoon, a few days after she had been discharged from the hospital. He had taken the baby down there for a couple of hours while Pepper had laid down for a nap. Maria, who had been quite content lying in her carrier to this point, which Tony had sat on the workbench in front of him, had begun to fuss and suck her fist just moments before, signalling she was hungry.

" _There's_ the beautiful mother of my child!" he hooted, once Pepper entered.

She just giggled and smiled lovingly back at him.

 _"Tell_ me? How was nap time?" he asked.

" _Fabulous,_ thank you," she replied as she neared. "And _r_ _eally?_ You're reading to her from a _text_ book?" she asked, noticing the opened book her husband was holding. It was a college-level Quantum Physics text book, to be exact.

"Of _course!_ " he quipped, as if this was an obvious selection for a newborn baby. He gently snapped the book closed, and laid it on his desk before swiveling himself back around on his shop stool to face his wife. "It's _never_ too early to create an environment of academia, you know," he informed her, his tone sanctimonious.

Pepper chuckled. "Well, normally, I would agree. But don't you find the material..." she began, inhaling sharply through her teeth, and wincing. "...just a _tad_ advanced for her age group?" she joked with a smirk.

Tony turned his eyes to his daughter. "Tell Mommy it really doesn't _matter what_ I read to you. It's about the _tone_ I use," he replied in a sweet, sing-songy voice. "And _besides,"_ he said, turning his eyes again to speak to Pepper, who was now standing directly beside him. "Pop was reading _me_ this stuff at her age. So I figured it can't hurt."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and clucked her tongue skeptically. "Uh _-huh,"_ she replied with a smirk before leaning in to peck her husband's lips. He pulled her to him from around the waist, and made the kiss linger, letting out a soft, contented sigh. When it broke, he laid his hands squarely on her hips, and gazed lovingly up at her. Pepper just gazed back at him, smiling.

"All the _same,_ I appreciate the _break._ So _thank_ you," she murmured gratefully.

 _"_ You _got_ it, Baby," Tony cooed back. "Besides, _any_ time spent with Mini-me is gonna be a _party,_ right? How can I refuse?"

Pepper chuckled and gave him a wry smile. "Tell me that the next time it's _your_ turn to change a poopey diaper," she joked. "If _that's_ your outlook, I'll expect _full_ compliance, with _no_ complaining, _no_ whining, and _definitely_ no _bargaining_."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh. " _Fine._ Ya' got me. But I _still_ don't understand how someone so small can make so much _poop,"_ he implored.

Pepper smiled. "Because she has her _father's appetite_ ," she answered simply, emphasizing her last two words by tapping his lips with her pointer finger, and pursing her lips.

Tony worked his jaw in consideration, and teetered his head from side to side. "Ok. That's a fair point, Potts. I'll allow it," he replied.

Pepper chuckled, and Tony smiled. They laughed at each other, and then Pepper cupped her husband's cheeks in her hands, giving his lips another loving peck.

Just then, the baby fussed again, and began sucking even louder on her fist, drawing her parents' attention immediately away from their moment. "And how long has she been doing _this_ , Professor? You should have called me!" Pepper reprimanded, moving away from Tony's embrace as she began unbuttoning the top few buttons of her blouse. She then picked the baby up out of the carrier, and positioned her head in the crook of her elbow so she could start nursing her. In no time, Maria latched on and eagerly set to eating. Pepper wrapped her arms around her daughter, and began a gentle rocking motion back and forth before raising her eyes to give Tony an accusatory look.

"Not long, I _swear,_ " Tony replied, holding his hands up in his defense. "Or I would've called. _That's..."_ he said, pointing a finger at his wife's chest. "A _bit_ above my pay grade."

Pepper relented, and spluttered out a giggle.

Just then, FRIDAY spoke. "Mr. Hogan has arrived, Boss," she announced.

They both looked at each other questioningly. "Did...you order car service or something? I thought..." Tony asked.

Pepper just shook her head. "No. No, I didn't. I thought he'd be gone by now. Why is he still _here?"_ she asked.

"Well, at _any_ rate, _here,"_ Tony said, handing Pepper a receiving blanket from the carrier to drape over her shoulder and the baby's head. "No use traumatizing the man even _further._ "

"Though I don't know how _that_ would even be possible," Pepper muttered, considering how much Happy had already seen of her during the birth. But none-the-less, she took the blanket and spread it over her shoulder and the baby.

Soon, Happy appeared at the door. He punched in his security code, then walked in, carrying a small pink gift bag.

"Hey, what're _you_ still doing here? I thought you were Bahamas-bound," Tony called out to his friend.

Happy smiled. "I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to my co-God daughter," he explained.

"Awww, _thank_ you, Happy," Pepper said sweetly. "But, I'm afraid it's dinner time for her right now. Though, we won't be long, if you've got a few minutes?"

Happy set the bag on the workbench. "No rush," he said, shrugging and stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. "My flight doesn't leave for another 4 hours anyway. Then it's _sun,_ _sand,_ and endless Mai-Tai's for _this_ guy," he said.

" _Much_ deserved," Pepper responded proudly.

" _Yes,"_ Tony agreed, extending his hand to his friend.

Happy extended his own, and they shook hands, Tony clasping his other over the top of both of theirs. " _Again._ We can't thank you enough for all you did, Hap. Honest," he said in earnest.

Happy scoffed. "Pssh. It was nothing," he muttered bashfully.

"It wasn't _nothing,_ Happy," Pepper countered.

"That's _right,"_ Tony agreed. "Our little girl might not be here today if it wasn't for you."

Happy smiled. "Well, the retention of my title and this little getaway is good enough. _That,_ and getting a God-daughter out of the deal," he joked.

They all chuckled. But then Tony snapped his fingers in recollection. "Ooh! That reminds me! I almost forgot!" he said, swiveling around again on his shop stool to pull a paper out of a drawer in his desk. Happy watched curiously as Tony searched for a pen on his cluttered desktop, and then swiveled back around, laying both objects on the workbench in front of Happy.

Happy nodded at them, and then looked at Tony. "What's this?" he asked.

Tony glanced behind his shoulder at Pepper with a knowing smirk, and then turned around to look at Happy again. "Consider this a...little something we thought of to send you off on your vacation the _right_ way," he said.

Happy reached for the paper, frowning as he began reading it. His lips were moving as he silently read the words on the document. Tony clasped his hands and cocked his head, waiting patiently for a reaction.

Suddenly, Happy gasped, his eyebrows shooting up as he glanced back and forth between Tony and Pepper in surprise. "A raise?!" he cried. "Really?! You didn't have to! I was perfectly happy with..."

Tony waved a hand at him in dismissal. "You've earned it. We're happy to do it, Buddy," he assured his friend.

Happy smiled, and then glanced at Pepper for further assurance.

She just chuckled and smiled. " _Really,_ Happy. You _deserve_ it," she said.

" _Wow,"_ he mused. "I'm blown away. You guys are the best."

Tony just grinned at his friend's delight. "Just sign on the dotted line, pal, and it's _yours,"_ he said, picking up the pen and offering it to him. Happy took it from him, and quickly scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page. He then laid the pen down on top of the paper, and slid both objects across the bench in Tony's direction.

Tony gave Happy a nod of approval, and smiled. "There. _Done,"_ he said. Then he nodded in the direction of what Happy had brought with him. "What's in the bag, Hap?" he asked.

Happy shrugged. "Just a little something I picked up," he replied modestly.

Tony gave him a curious look, and grabbed the bag off the bench. He looked inside, and then instantly began grinning. Pepper looked at him curiously, and watched as he reached in the bag to pull out the contents. He held up what he'd found to show her. There, dangling from the tip of his index finger, were a pair of tiny, pink, plush boxing gloves, tied together with a matching ribbon.

"Oh, those are _darling!"_ she gasped.

"They're to hang on her mobile. You know. Over her crib? So she'll know I'll always be around," Happy said.

Pepper beamed, and Tony chuckled, nodding. "Glad to here it, buddy," he told him.

Just then, the baby began to fuss from under the blanket. "Oh,oh, oh. Okay, sweetheart. Just a minute," Pepper cooed sweetly to her daughter. She looked up at her husband. "Tony? I think she needs to be burped. Could you take her while I...?" she began, motioning in the direction of her opened blouse still hidden, and smiling sheepishly.

"Certainly," Tony replied, and pulled open a desk drawer full of burp rags. He grab one out of the drawer, and slung it over his shoulder before walking to Pepper so he could be handed the baby.

"The _only_ thing in the world I like being handed, might I remind you," he quipped, making Pepper smile as he took his daughter out of her arms. When he had a hold of the baby, Pepper immediately spun around, away from the men's direction, to button back up.

"Oh- _kay,_ Miss Maria," Tony said to his daughter, laying her against his shoulder, over the burp rag. "Let's give this a whirl, huh?"

"Actually?" Happy asked. "Could... _I?"_

Tony smirked. "Sorry, Hap, but the baby gets first dibs on the burping. You'll have to wait your turn," he joked.

Happy rolled his eyes drolly at Tony's lame joke. "Oh ha-ha, smart guy. No, I mean, can _I_ burp her? It's been a while since I burped a baby, and her being my God-daughter and all, and with me _leaving_ for a couple of weeks, and being _away_ from her for so long, I just feel like it's..." he began to explain.

"Alright, alright. You don't have to make it a _thing._ _Here,_ " Tony said, feigning exasperation, but secretly delighted that Happy wanted to take burping duty this time. He gently lifted the baby off his shoulder, and handed her to Happy. He then promptly took the burp rag from off his own shoulder, and placed it on his friend's. "You know, you're going soft on me, Hogan? If you wanted to hold her, you could've just _said_ so," he teased, as Happy rested the baby against his shoulder.

"Yeah, okay, so I wanted to hold her. Sue me," he spouted back, as he began to pat the baby on her back. She squeaked and whimpered in discomfort as he worked, arching her back and trying to life her still-weak neck.

"Okay, _there_ we go, Princess. We'll get that burp out, won't we?" Happy murmured lovingly to the baby.

Pepper had finished buttoning, and turned to walk back to where Tony and Happy were standing. "She's certainly squirmy," she remarked, nodding at her daughter. Tony put his arm around his wife's waist, and she leaned into him, folding her arms. "She must have quite a bubble in there."

Happy shrugged. "It isn't anything I can't..." he began. But no sooner had he started speaking, did the baby let out a loud belch, which was followed by a large quantity of spit up streaking its way down the upper arm of his suit jacket, almost completely missing the burp rag all together. She then sighed heavily, and melted into her God-father's arms, completely relaxed and obviously feeling _much_ better.

Tony and Pepper recoiled as soon as they saw it happen, each of them grimacing, as their poor friend stood there with a completely un-amused expression on his face.

"Hoh! A direct _hit!"_ Tony hollered, immediately cackling.

Pepper started giggling. " _And_ a miss!" she said, walking to the drawer where Tony kept the burp rags, grabbed one, and then briskly to Happy and her daughter to help clean him up. As she began, Happy turned his head to the now drowsy baby.

"Hey, what's the big idea? I thought we were _friends,"_ he muttered to her in good nature.

Pepper was trying her best to wipe up all of the mess, but she pursed her lips in frustration. "Oh, Happy! I'm so sorry! I'm afraid we'll owe you _another_ trip to the cleaners!" she said regretfully, referring to the suit jacket that got used as an emergency baby blanket in the helicopter.

"Nah, that's okay," he said. "It's all in the job, right? Of being _God-father?"_

Pepper smiled. "Well, then? Let's consider this her way of officially welcoming you into the family," she told him, stepping back to rejoin Tony once she'd tidied him up as best as she could. "Though we could easily say you've been part of the family for _years."_

Tony smiled at her words, and replaced his arm around her hip, hugging her to his side. "Hear, hear," he cried jovially, grinning. "I second that."

Happy smiled, and turned his head to speak to the little girl now happily asleep in his arms. "Well, then, kid? Consider me to be _officially_ _honored,"_ he told her, unable to help a loving smile from spreading over his lips.

 _THE END_


End file.
